1996 Chimaera restoration

[PhysDoc]

Hi all,

I have just started a restoration of my 1996 Chimaera. Just started this thread to show my progress and seek advice as/when I need it. First TVR restoration.

It was my daily driver for 8 years until I took it off the road about 18 months ago. Unfortunately, outriggers completely fooked, so have embarked upon a full body off restoration.

I am also putting together a 5L Wildcat engine.

Progress so far -- Body off and chassis stripped down just before Xmas. Made up some jigs to lift it gently the first 6 inches, then had family around to hoik it off the rest of the way, and had a December BBQ on the chassis














Chassis is in much worse condition than I anticipated. Outriggers look like they were just held together with underseal, easily worst I have seen personally. Metal ordered to make up a jig to position the new ones which I shall order on pay day.

Been inspecting the chassis this weekend. These bits concern me -- very heavy pitting near front upper wishbone mounts. Still solid, but obviously the deep pits are less than ideal. Going to sleep on whether I want to fix these or leave as is -- leaning towards fixing them at the moment. New chassis not an option.





Be interested in other folks' opinion on these.

Also rear wishbone mount. Not the best, but I'm not as worried about this, as it just looks like surface pitting -- not as deep . What do others think?

Edited by PhysDoc on Sunday 7th January 20:17

[Belle427]

Rears dont look too bad but the fronts are borderline id say and look like they need replacing, if you were doing the fronts you are obviously very capable so id probably do the rears too.
Pita but if you have got this far its not worth cutting corners.
Pitting to the chassis tubes themselves may be easily dealt with.

[Stone Cold]

Good luck I have nothing but admiration for all of you knowledgeable people, I wouldn’t know where to start or indeed have the balls to try quite frankly so hats off to you

[PhysDoc]

Belle427 said:

Rears dont look too bad but the fronts are borderline id say and look like they need replacing, if you were doing the fronts you are obviously very capable so id probably do the rears too.
Pita but if you have got this far its not worth cutting corners.
Pitting to the chassis tubes themselves may be easily dealt with.

Thanks for the reply!

I'm thinking the same at the moment. Been devising a plan this evening how I might splice in some new tubes and make sure the mounts go back in the same place.

Will sleep on it some more whilst I do the outriggers. I want to get these done first because I want to jig them up so the new ones go back in the same place, but they are so bloody delicate, bits fall off just brushing up against them.

Stone Cold said:

Good luck I have nothing but admiration for all of you knowledgeable people, I wouldn’t know where to start or indeed have the balls to try quite frankly so hats off to you

Thanks! Just hope I have big enough balls to put it back together 🤣

Edited by PhysDoc on Monday 8th January 00:50

[Belle427]

I would imagine if you did one at a time you could line them up with a tacked bolt or even re install the lower wishbone and damper assembly temporarily to double check alignment.

[s p a c e m a n]

Honestly if it were my car I'd leave them. If it was a car that was going to be used hard or left outside and used in all weathers I'd replace them, but for a car that lives a life in a warm garage and only does a few thousand miles a year plodding about with the roof off I can't see them deteriorating any further than they already have if you just paint them.

[PabloGee]

It's a very subjective point of view, but now you've got the body off, if it were me, I'd be fixing everything to the best standard I could.
Remove any doubt, and hopefully no need to pull the body off again during your ownership.

Especially if you have the skill and tools to do it yourself.

Easy to say of course!



Very interested to follow this resto though, and see what the Wildcat does for you!

[s p a c e m a n]

That's how you end up with a car in pieces for years though

Agree that everyone's different, I enjoy working on cars almost as much as I do driving them but I still get bored if I've been working on one for a few months.

[PabloGee]

You can at least use the discarded parts of your chassis for a BBQ...

[Classic Chim]

s p a c e m a n said:

That's how you end up with a car in pieces for years though

Agree that everyone's different, I enjoy working on cars almost as much as I do driving them but I still get bored if I've been working on one for a few months.

This is always the risk.
The moment new riggers are on your on your way though.
My car took about 3 weeks to put together having everything ready. I spent many weeks getting things ready. Gaskets and pipes, bolt kits etc etc. I took as long as I could because that bits so much fun.
Sorting the chassis out then re covering it took a few months but that includes cleaning/ repairing other areas.
This was spread over 14-15 months largely due to Covid shut downs which was very stressful but actual hours in the garage we’re not excessive although I did devote days at a time rather than a few hours.
It’s hard to say but total hours if working 40 hrs a week it probably took
1 week to remove body, about 30 hrs on my own.
2/3 days to strip remainder of chassis
2 weeks rigger chassis repairs. Including pissing about time.
25 hrs preparing and painting chassis
1 week putting it back together although I faffed and enjoyed this bit tremendously so it actually took about 3 weeks in total until it was fully plumbed in and up and running as I just couldn’t stop looking at my work
And I did a few floor repairs and upgrades to my seat belt anchors at this point for better sealing and stopping leaks.
Many hours researching and ordering of parts, oils and all those nice shiny bits for a body off, again great great fun if expensive, engine bay heat matting, braided clutch line, metal extended fuel lines and all new hoses for fuel lines, brake lines, rear brake cable, bushes and nice hydraulic PS lines. Gators and anything you need as you go along.

And finally I’ve seen a car with similar riggers as my own.
Good job sir that cars done some work.
What’s all this about a Wildcat engine.
Isn’t that big bucks

Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 8th January 13:53

[Classic Chim]

Inspiration
And before you know it it looks like that.

I deleted my first post as I noticed your making a jig up.

Here’s a good tip. Save some cash. Re use most bolts and washers
Years ago I had new front wishbones and all new bolts including shock bolts.
6 years later taking the corners off doing the body off the front end bolts were corroded and hard work to get off. They’d been greased so I was not amused.
The rears that are original barely had any corrosion along the threads or shank and came off a dream!
I keep everything so re used the old bolts on the front.
They might not be shiny but they are top quality.
New body mounting bolts yes but I’d be careful of what other bolt kit you buy.
I was going to paint the old heads but let’s grow up
Waste of money and not as good.

Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 8th January 12:54

[PabloGee]

Yes, love it, and details like the heat wrapping on the chassis rails near the manifolds - some of these things were not done on my car, but I feel like if I'd have done it they would... (hard to add now it's all together).

Then I'd be getting lost in threads about starter motor cable and earthing upgrades, the Bertram Hill website documenting the work Paul did on his Griff (http://www.bertram-hill.com/tvr-griffith.html) like single run fuel lines, buying a new filter for the fuel tank, refurbishing the steering rack and diff, new CV joints, hubs, suspension etc. Then all of a sudden the bank looks somewhat depleted, but the car feels awesome in your head!

[Classic Chim]

And just for anybody interested.
Firstly this is the rolling chassis loosely bolted together. Nothing has been torqued up other than engine/ box and Dif including drive shafts as another lockdown loomed I needed to get body on it and car out the way!

I came back months later removed body and did it all again
What you’ll notice is there are bits I’ve not finished.
As I’ve done everything as a rolling restoration and over time as I can’t spend 4k to often I’ve put my original Griff shocks back on.
It’s a right faff but I can remove anything from the 4 corners with body on anytime so somethings you can leave until a later date.

From a fresh chassis sitting on the floor to the picture about took a few days really.

[Classic Chim]

PabloGee said:

Yes, love it, and details like the heat wrapping on the chassis rails near the manifolds - some of these things were not done on my car, but I feel like if I'd have done it they would... (hard to add now it's all together).

Then I'd be getting lost in threads about starter motor cable and earthing upgrades, the Bertram Hill website documenting the work Paul did on his Griff (http://www.bertram-hill.com/tvr-griffith.html) like single run fuel lines, buying a new filter for the fuel tank, refurbishing the steering rack and diff, new CV joints, hubs, suspension etc. Then all of a sudden the bank looks somewhat depleted, but the car feels awesome in your head!

Paul’s a top man.
You either do like me and just slowly get each area sorted over time then the body off isn’t such a pain or you bite the bullet and sort everything as part of a body off which can be a big hit.
I openly admit my engine and Ecu inside the car cost double what a body off cost me but that also means I have no rats nest of wiring in the footwell and you’ll notice every pipe is still attached to the engine because I didn’t have to touch it, it was still spotless from being rebuilt years ago but it doesn’t leak oil so stayed very clean over the years.
Dif was new a year or so before doing body off.
Get it right though and it’s as good in real life as in your head.
There are many things a home builder can do that’s not always done by a specialist good and bad but that little heat shielding touch is bloody obvious to me.
Here’s where the home builder spills back in…..
I had half a roll left so when I came back to it I added it on the diagonal smaller tubes, further along top rails both forward and back towards gearbox and everywhere I thought it might help
It looks cooler than ice with the body back on
Damn expensive too!

ETA
You could still put shielding on the top tubes but you’d have to remove manifolds to do so.
Cut into smaller sections you should be able to apply it and as the suspension pick up lug in the pictures above show heat and so eventually corrosion can be immense in this area.

Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 8th January 14:17

[Sardonicus]

Classic Chim said:

Inspiration
And before you know it it looks like that.

I deleted my first post as I noticed your making a jig up.

Here’s a good tip. Save some cash. Re use most bolts and washers
Years ago I had new front wishbones and all new bolts including shock bolts.
6 years later taking the corners off doing the body off the front end bolts were corroded and hard work to get off. They’d been greased so I was not amused.
The rears that are original barely had any corrosion along the threads or shank and came off a dream!
I keep everything so re used the old bolts on the front.
They might not be shiny but they are top quality.
New body mounting bolts yes but I’d be careful of what other bolt kit you buy.
I was going to paint the old heads but let’s grow up
Waste of money and not as good.

Edited by Classic Chim on Monday 8th January 12:54

Your graft and inspiration on doing your chassis are nothing short of humbling not bad for an OAP Alun ....

[Classic Chim]

Sardonicus said:

our graft and inspiration on doing your chassis are nothing short of humbling not bad for an OAP Alun ....

Coming from you that’s the greatest compliment I could receive.

Using truck axle stands to support chassis at waist height I sat down on a chair building each corner up